


Live For Today, Hope For Tomorrow

by helloferelith



Category: SKAM (France)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Future Fic, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:59:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23986432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helloferelith/pseuds/helloferelith
Summary: After college, Lucas finds himself in the same city Eliott has been living in. He easily settles into life there, and discovers that he wants to stay.
Relationships: Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant
Comments: 4
Kudos: 72





	Live For Today, Hope For Tomorrow

It’s a weird thing, coming back to Paris after four years of being gone. The city seems so different to him now. He doesn’t know if it’s because the city itself has changed, or if he has. It only takes a few days for Lucas to realise he doesn’t have anything in Paris anymore. At least not any reason to stay. It’s far too easy to grab his bags and throw them into the back of his car again.

Yann doesn’t seem the least bit surprised when Lucas tells him he’s leaving again, “I kind of figured it wouldn’t be permanent. You’ve been away too long. And you always said this place never felt like home. Sometimes you just have to leave. No one can blame you for that.”

Lucas nods, and pulls his friend in for a hug, “I might not miss this city, but I always miss you.”

Yann smiles, and gives him a few friendly pats on the back, “Do you know where you’ll go?”

Lucas shakes his head, “Not really. I might just travel for a while. Take in some sights.”

“Well you know where the others have scattered to,” Yann says. “I’m sure they’d be more than happy if you wanted to stop by for a visit.”

Lucas says goodbye after agreeing to come back and visit from time to time, and then he’s on the road. He just gets on the road and drives. It’s not until he’s driving through Bourges that he realises the direction in which he’s heading. He hadn’t meant to. At least not yet. But he’s been subconsciously driving towards Montpellier, the city Eliott had moved to a few years ago.

He knows if he wanted to, he could just keep going, drive straight through and no one would ever know. But he’s heard so much about the place, and how happy and at peace Eliott seems there. He can’t help but put the address into his GPS and point his car towards Montpellier.

He’s driving through the town centre, when he spots Eliott’s car parked outside the veterinary clinic. He must be at work. Lucas pulls into the next available space and looks towards the clinic. He can see Eliott inside, talking to a woman who is holding a small dog. He says something and she smiles brightly, squeezing his hand before walking towards the exit. Lucas watches as Eliott smiles to himself and starts typing something on the computer in front of him. He hasn’t realised Lucas is here yet.

Lucas takes a breath, clenching and unclenching his fingers as he walks in through the door. The door gives a pleasant ding when it opens, Eliott doesn’t look up from his computer as he starts to greet him. “Hey, I’ll be with you in just a minute.”

“No rush,” Lucas says, fighting to keep the smile off his face.

Eliott stills and then his head snaps up. His eyes widen as he takes Lucas in, then he’s rushing out from behind the counter and coming towards him. Lucas would be startled by the hug he finds himself being pulled into, if he didn’t know how much Eliott loved hugs.

“Lucas,” Eliott says, a pleased smile on his face when he pulls back to look at him. “What are you doing here? I thought you were heading back home.”

“I was,” Lucas says, following Eliott as he heads back towards the counter. “I went back to Paris and it just felt… different. I guess I’m just trying to figure out where home is now.”

“And you wound up here?”

“I was just driving,” Lucas admits. “I had no idea where I was going. And then I passed through Bourges, and knew you were close. I’ve heard a lot about this place from the guys, and I guess I wanted to see if it was as great as they say it is.”

“It is,” Eliott assures him. “I think you’ll love it. If you’re planning to stay? I mean, at least for a day or two, right?”

Lucas nods, “Yeah I can stay for a bit. I mean, I still have to find someplace to stay, but…”

Eliott shakes his head, “No. You can stay with me. I have the room. No sense in you wasting money to stay somewhere, when I have a perfectly good spare room you can use for free.”

Lucas smiles, “That would be great.”

* * *

It’s surprisingly easy to fall into a routine in this city. He wakes up early every morning and has breakfast with Eliott before he has to go to work. They head into town together, with Eliott heading for the clinic and Lucas going to the youth center for troubled teens he’s been volunteering at.

It was a complete accident that he wound up there. He’d been walking through town and trying to get his bearings when he’d noticed the sign in the window saying they were looking for volunteers. The couple running the place had been hesitant to hire a total stranger. But once Lucas told them what his degree was in, and he’d had an opportunity to charm them, they’d been a lot more welcoming.

That was over two months ago.

Now he’s at the youth center at least 5 days a week, doing what he can to help out. It’s not easy. A lot of the kids aren’t all that trusting. But Lucas always pushes through. He knows what it’s like to be them. To be distrustful of the world and think it’s wronged you. He gets it. He knows they need someone to care and show them they’ll stick around.

Which is part of the problem.

He loves it here. The more time he spends here in this city, and with Eliott, the more he wants to stay. It’s the only reason he starts looking into universities nearby where he can get his Master’s degree. He’s not sure what pushes him to apply. He doesn’t even know if staying is an option. But he feels like he has to try.

It’s another two weeks before he gets an envelope in the mail from the University of Montpellier. He holds it in his hands, trying to decide if he should open it or not. He knows he’s going to have to. He can’t avoid it forever.

He takes the envelope with him out onto the balcony. The fresh air calming his nerves a little. He takes a deep breath and opens it, taking out the letter on top. His eyes catch the first few words and he stops. He puts the envelope and letter on the table behind him before turning back to the lookout at the view.

“There you are,” Eliott says, stepping out onto the balcony and closing the door behind him. He stands next to Lucas and leans on the railing. “Everything alright?”

Lucas nods, “I’m fine.” He grimaces at the way his voice rises around the words.

Eliott is silent for a moment. So long that Lucas thinks he’s not going to question the obvious lie.

“I know you’re afraid,” Eliott says finally. His eyes flick in Lucas’ direction before moving back to the view spread out in front of them. “Hope is a scary thing.”

“You’ve always had hope,” Lucas points out. “You can’t tell me you’re always afraid.

Eliott’s answering laugh is light, “Maybe not  _ always  _ . But I do get afraid. I was afraid to come here, you know? I was afraid to let myself have that peace. I still hoped it would work out. And things have stayed peaceful. Nothing’s happened. And honestly, that was more terrifying than anything. Letting myself just relax and live without the fear of something coming to take it all away was scary as hell. But I did. And now it’s just…”

“You’re happy,” Lucas says. “I mean, you were happy before. But I can tell this place has been really good for you. You’re at peace here. Calm. It’s like this place was made for you. You belong here. And I...”

Eliott turns his head to look at him, and there’s something in his eyes that makes Lucas’ pulse quicken.  _ Hope  _ . “What about you?”

Lucas lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He feels that familiar surge of hope. And it is fucking terrifying. But he wants to grab onto it and not let go. “I want to. I want to belong here. With you.”

Eliott smiles, wide and bright. He pulls him in for a tight hug and whispers next to his ear, “You already do.”

Lucas’ own arms tighten around him as he lets out a happy laugh. “They do need someone to help at the youth center more permanently. I could do that while I work on my Master’s degree.”

“And you could do that here?” Eliott asks, pulling back to look at him.

Lucas nods, giving him a shy smile, “Yeah. I’ve been looking into the main university here, and they have a good program. I may have already sent in my application, just in case. And I got my acceptance letter today.”

“Someone was hopeful,” Eliott teases.

“I was trying to be,” Lucas says.

“And you’re not scared?”

It’s then that Lucas realises they’re still wrapped up in each other’s arms, but he doesn’t pull away. He steps even closer, “I’m terrified. But it’s the good kind.”

Eliott smiles, “Yeah, I get that.” His eyes move across Lucas’ face as if he’s searching for something. “What did you mean when you said you wanted to belong here with me? Was that as a friend? Or something else?”

“I was _hoping_ for something more,” Lucas tells him. He lets the terrifying surge of hope push him forward.

Eliott lets out a relieved breath, “Good.”

“You’re okay with that?”

Eliott tilts his head and brushes his lips across Lucas’ softly. He’s smiling when he pulls back. “More than okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> Your kudos and comments make my day. Thank you for reading :)


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